ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — to handle
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bark — to shout
  12. race — a contest
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com